The Derek Tan Lab

A significant, current challenge in chemical biology and drug discovery is to identify small molecule probes and therapeutic lead compounds to address novel biological targets. We are engaged in a two-pronged approach to this problem involving diversity-oriented synthesis and rational design as complementary approaches to ligand discovery. At the core of these efforts is the development of new synthetic methodologies to provide flexible, efficient, systematic access to these structures. We leverage multidisciplinary collaborations with biologists to evaluate the molecules we synthesize with the long-term goals of probing key biological processes and exploring new therapeutic opportunities in cancer and infectious diseases.